Abstract
Abstract Interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) comprise an important source of extraterrestrial materials available for study of our solar system and originate from either the asteroid belt or from short period comets. IDPs from cometary sources are particularly important as they constitute the only physical samples of comets available; all known meteorites are derived from the asteroids, the Moon or Mars. By measuring the densities of IDPs and using an appropriate atmospheric entry heating model, it is possible to determine whether an individual IDP has been derived from an asteraidal or cometary source region. Calculating the density of an IDP requires knowledge of both its mass and volume, which can be determined by using a combination of secondary and transmission electron microscopy techniques. We have developed methods to measure both of these parameters and thus routinely measure densities for individual IDPS in the size range of 5-15 μm.
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